The following is a letter the secretary-general of The Reform Party wrote to The Straits Times Forum on 12 May 2010:
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I WISH to correct Monday’s report, ‘SDA-Reform Party alliance: On or off?’. What I said was that our members had given us the go-ahead to enter into an alliance if negotiation reached that stage.
That is not the same as saying a tie-up has been agreed, nor is it asking us to push ahead with negotiation.
It is simply a vote of confidence in the secretary-general and the central executive committee to take that decision should it arise.
It would appear that the Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) has thrown out the baby with the bath water in deciding to treat the summary of broad areas of agreement already reached by both parties as a list of demands.
Normally, in a negotiation, it would be seen as a starting point for entering serious and final negotiations.
We have written to the SDA informing it that it may contact us about the possibility of continuing talks only after two conditions have been met:
We have written to the SDA informing it that it may contact us about the possibility of continuing talks only after two conditions have been met:
Kenneth Andrew Jeyaretnam
Secretary-General
The Reform Party
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Source: ST Forum
What a joker? Why even respond to what ST reports. Praising CST, while castigating SDA. How much more ridiculous can this guy get?
Is it just me, or somehow his beer-drinking belly just stands out naturally in that photo of KJ?
What KJ has been doing is merely to create more news for himself and the RP as he and his CEC members are so inexperienced in the political field and can’t even communicate with the general public and at the main time to disgrace CST and SDA.
KJ is okay..
CST is really very old, hunched and should retire
in fact, why should RP and SDA have any alliance ??
each can stand on its own with its own candidates..
As for the big belly…
mine is growing big too..!!
you can’t control it when you are older
I think, since things are out in the open…the best strategy is to be transparent all the way except on certain points.
Talk to the media….explain most of the points in negotiation and blanko the ones, upon agreement between both parties.
This would allow people to see the clean and good image of both parties and also make news.
Fence-sitters would sure like to know how things develop and make judgements on how the parties are capable of negotiating and making progress.
A good move RP.
From the looks of it, Chiam has alot of work to do…even at this age…my..my..
Gee so how lien.
Chiam and SDA got track record. KJ and his scholars got what?
Sound more eltist than PAP.
I seem to recall that both RP % SDA had announced that they would go to their members to obtain their approval for tie-up. Later, in this site a commentator said about ’11 demands’ which is now clarified by Kenneth ‘as a summary of broad areas of agreement’. The two parties should just move on – go their own ways or tie-up. Well done, Kenneth!
I have observed some double standards here.
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When KJ uses the mainstream press to clarify his position, even to the extent of washing SDA’s dirty linen in public, it is being hailed as politically savvy, a “good move by RP”, and so on.
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But whem Dr Chee Soon Juan clarifies his stand in the mainstream media after being unjustly criticized or attacked, when he has in fact been totally objective and transparent from day one, he is being ridiculued by other people for destroying opposition unity.
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This is a perfectly good case of GLARING DOUBLE STANDARDS.
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Frankly speaking I don’t care whether you have decided to vote for or against RP, or for or against SDP, or for or against the opposition.
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I just want to know why these double standards persist, why a newcomer to the opposition scene is hailed as a hero, BUT at the same time a veteran like Chiam See Tong is called “too old”, and a courageous man like Chee Soon Juan is called “opposition destroyer”.
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I just want to know WHY.
This is hardly a good move by KJ.
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This is case of use and abuse of semantics by KJ. Instead of calling the 11 points “condition”, he calls it “broad areas of agreements”.
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That does not alter the fact that he had tried to impose those “agreements” on SDA in exchange for the alliance.
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Don’t be fooled by semantics. A condition is a condition is a condition. When you want to be appointed chairman of SDA and you want Chiam to contest in West Coast with you, those are CONDITIONS.
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Want SDA to ally with you, but at the same time whack them so hard in the mainstream press?
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Want SDA to agree with you on so many things, yet use the media to cast aspersions on them?
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This is no different from PAP’s methods.
Only a desperate party would accept the 11 points put out by KJ-RP. One could dare say many of the 11 points are undemocratic.
Where is the source that says KJ tried to impose ‘conditions’? Through MSM or commentator here?
I did not follow news about CSJ so I cannot judge.
Yes, KJ is a hero – he is courageous to take up politics after what happened to JBJ!
In the first place, why pose with a picture of JBJ in the background when he doesn’t stand for what JBJ stood for?
JBJ had openly said that “if any Singaporean was happy with the system in Singapore at the moment, shouldn’t come to us (RP). Go and see Mr Chiam See Tong or Low Thia Khiang, who are happy with the system.” (Watch the video below)
And yet KJ would like to team up with Chiam. It’s sad and lucky that his father is not around to see this mess he’s done with RP.
The video — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvqE_xAN1is
Twist and turn his word.Staring the New Harban Singh of Singapore!!!!!!
Guys, its simply terms and conditions that need to be lay out clearly before anything should happen.
If you had done business before (B2B), you should understand that its very impt to have everything ironed out before the business relationship should begin.
to Yong – As for the “alliance”; if RP or KJ is “happy” with the current system or have the same political beliefs/aspirations as the other Oppositions, then they would have joined the other parties and would not bothered to create a totally new party.
I’m neutral anyway; just for info.
Double Standards, you are completely right. I was actually thinking along the same lines even before I read your post. Even within the opposition, whether they are supporters, the online media and their owners, or politicians, they help PAP to continue the job of hitting CSJ hard. But when someone else does the same thing, especially the new opposition darling, KJ, he is showered with so much praise. When I see this in the same opposition I am losing a lot of confidence in them because I can see that they will be just as blind to injustice as the PAP has been. I am spoiling my vote except for the SDP and maybe USD.
Yong, very well said. Especially “if any Singaporean was happy with the system in Singapore at the moment, shouldn’t come to us (RP). Go and see Mr Chiam See Tong or Low Thia Khiang, who are happy with the system.”
f**k lah…in the end singaporeans are doomed lah..no one else to turn to.Both side are full of nonsense ..PAP and opposition…We’re left to die along
If Reform Party find Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) not compatible, then find other partner to from alliance to win GRCs in the coming general election.
Dear Yong:
I feel that Kenneth Jeyaretanm’s has positioned himself politically to be seen as distinct from his father, the late JBJ, as much as possible.
For example, in a series of letter exchanges with TOC last time over Terence Lee’s writeup about WP’s youth wing, Kenneth Jeya took great pains to emphasize that he has distance himself totally from tactics such as civil disobedience — tactics that his father said quite explicitly cannot be ruled out totally, and could even be employed provided circumstances are correct.
Kenneth Jeya has also developed a PR strategy totally different from the late JBJ, in reaching out actively to parties such as SDA and to individuals such as Chiam See Tong — something that his father would not have done on such an active scale. In fact, during a youtube clip, the late JBJ was known to have remarked at one of SDP’s forums that if people agree with the PAP’s system of political governance, they should set their sights on Chiam and Low, rather than the Reform Party.
Kenneth Jeya has made sure that he is seen as NOT endorsing his father’s philosophy and approach, and that he and his father are seen to be as different as chalk and cheese.
Dear Ng E-Jay:
Kenneth is digging his own grave. So I’ll stop commenting, sit back, and enjoy the show.
Take away the pot belly does he not resemble Mr Bean? Is this guy to be taken seriously?
Singaporeans who want change are counting on him? Better stick with the PAP. At the very least LSL is loyal to and does not screw up his own daddy the MM.
What makes you think that a person who screws up his own father will not hesitate to screw you up wholesale if it serves his own interests?
And if his so called scholars cannot see this what can Singaporeans expect of them? At the very least viewers know that Mr Bean is only play acting.
The PAP knows who is to be taken on seriously and who is not.
Keep up the good work RP guys. You really make it very easier for the PAP.
The next thing you are going to see is this JB kid hugging Low Thia Khiang to form an alliance with the WP.
Then the story repeats itself. He will impose stiff conditions whicj will definitely make LTK and SL jump.
He then will write to the press to say that he thought he could find common ground with LTK who had also screwed up his father. No?
LTK would say that he screwed JBJ but did not screw up his own father. How could they have common ground? And the deal falls apart.
The PAP laughs out very loud. End of story.
Keep it up JB kid.
The kid next gives a call to NSP leaders inviting them for coffee.
The atmosphere was very cordial. The agenda is the same. The kid wants another go at forming an alliance. After all who wouldn’t want to join hands with a double first and a bunch of scholars, he thinks.
Conditions are laid and there is a broad agreement on almost every point. Then came the bombshell. The kid wants an exclusive right to send an all RP team to any GRC of his choice despite the alliance and the choice GRC is Tampines to kick out MBT.
All hell broke loose. GMS feels like punching him in the face but is reatrained by Steve Chia, the NCMP who blew his chance at being elected due to a scandal. The deal also falls apart.
As usual the kid calls a press conference to protess the NSP’s unreasonableness.
The PAP is overjoyed.
Finally the kid decides to kill two birds with one stone despite his reluctance to align himself with parties that seem to be challenging the PAP at every given opportunity.
He had earlier expected both parties to contact and pay homage to him despite his inexperience – a green horn so to speak.
He must have thought that CSJ, by virtue of his solidarity with JBJ, will stop playing hard to get and ultimately be unable to resist the temptation of alighning the SDP and USD with a party formed by JBJ and now led by his double first son and a bunch of scholars.
He sends his kakis to meet with CSJ and Jaslyn together with Gandhi and the rest.
They however find the door shut tight with a noice hanging outside – “Just Married, do not disturb”
The PAP laughs even louder.
i do nt hav a gd impression of kj. can it be attributed to inexperience or is it just plainly clear? as much as he is tryin to differentiate himself from the style of pap politics, i feel he’s jus a variation of tt kind of style; self-serving wif a personal agenda. the citizens jus dun know wat kind of agenda. is he so concerned abt citizens? so far, to be fair, don’t know. but clearly, he hasn’t done anything tt unequivocally shows tt he’s really entering politics for the gd of the citizens. it’s a pathetic sight. as much as the way ppl hates the way pap plays the political game, as yet, there isn’t an alternative tt makes ppl look at it seriously.
Guys,
To make judgement based on media w/o knowing the “stories’ behind the scenes are unnecessary, and it’s way too early.
Let them prove themselves during the election campaigning, and we’ll see who’s got the fangs.
((Keep up the good work RP guys. You really make it very easier for the PAP.))
RP under KJ is just another neo-liberal, pro-capitalist party like the PAP. Because of this, the PAP-controlled MSM is giving extensive coverage to KJ and his bunch of neo-conservative PAP clones in the RP.
The authoritarian PAP is happy to see a son of JBJ is at the helm of RP to make sure it’s a carbon copy of the ruling elite.
To Die Hard PAP supporter.In my early comment on the other article, The wolf are picking on individual sheep and kill them. This has happen in the early RP camp.Came in with Baldev Naidu (The terrorist)and the group of CEC crook (we suspected PAP cronies) change the lock kick the chair, band the table- first get RP-later go onto other opposition party to destroy them one by one.
TOC, noname’s baby icon is so cute. I would like mine to be changed to a similar one, pacifier included :O)
I do not like KJ period. He should throw himself into the rubbish chute. When I see him I see ABC (Abdomen before Charisma).
Seriously, I think he is arrogant (I need to include this final remark in case TOC penalizes me for making personal attacks).
Now we should not call him KJ. Now we should call him Harban Singh of modern Singapore.
Chiam wanted RP into SDA badly. Without consulting others in the CEC, he and his wife agreed to all the 11 demands made by KJ.
If Chiam is really sincere in wanting opposition unity, he should have invited the others, including SDP, into SDA.
Chiam has remained an MP since 1984, thanks to PAP. Chiam doesn’t have leadership quality. Why did NSP leave the SDA alliance?
PAP wants weak characters like Chiam to dominate the “opposition” scene. The PAP controlled media is actively promoting bankrupt politicians such as Chiam to hoodwink the people.
The would-be partnership between SDA & RP is a mismatch when you considered the remarks made by Kenneth in an exclusive interview that appeared in the “Today” newspaper of 8/4/10.
He indirectly belittled the SDA cadre members for not moving against Mr Chiam by claiming that although Mr Chiam had done a great job in PP, “In a democratic country, if a party has failed for 25 yrs to expand its base beyond 1 seat in Parliament then I think the leaders would have been voted out”. If he had checked his facts first, he would have learned that it took Mr Chiam barely 7 years, between 1984 and 1991, to bring 2 of his colleagues in the shape of Mr Ling and Mr Cheo to triple his party’s presence in Parliament!
Kenneth is lucky that Mr Chiam did not make him retract his erroneous statement. Had it been a PAP heavyweight in his place, he could have been taken to task for a trecherous remark. Yet, he claimed in the same interview that one of the things he’s concerned about “is that we don’t put out anything libellous, inflammatory or seditious, that could lead to potential legal problems”. This can be construed as a subtle reference that his late father was ‘wreckless’ in his approach. It adds weight to Mr Ejay’s claim that he “has positioned himself politically to be seen as distinct from his father, the late JBJ, as much as possible”.
All these beg the question as to what this ‘brilliant scholar from Cambridge’ is up to. He appears to disfancy playing second fiddle to anyone from the opposition. It also illuminates the fact he is ironically the bogey man for the opposition thrust!
That picture is just so out of place for this article. If it is to show the father and son relationship, it should be one that is outside the party colours. It is just so shameful to have KJ sitting in the party chair JBJ created, pose in the party colours against JBJ portrait and have the cheek to claim RP to rejects the foundations JBJ laid down.
RP is JBJ and his philosophy. I believe there are still amongst the cofounders that has faith in JBJ’s philosophy yet the cult of personality has alphabetically positioned the J before the K. But it is the K that has the final say now as the J that we know has moved on.
KJ, be a gentleman and set up your own party if your ideals are different from your father.